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Dark Style/ Panther Blade
The Panther Blade discipline is a unique and rather rare style. It is known for being an assassin's style and is characterized for utilizing a reverse grip on the blade. While more popular with shorter blades, it has been refined over the years to use longer blades as well. Development and Strategy The Panther Blade was created as the "Dark Style." It was named such because of its tendency to operate in and strike from the shadows. It was named after the panther because it was designed to ambush and kill. It was created to end fights before they began by quickly disabling an enemy through strikes at weak points or outright killing them in one blow. The style was developed by assassins to fight within close quarters and as such used the reverse grip to allow themselves more room to manuever in confined places. If forced into one on one combat, the style focuses on rapid attacks from many different angles in attempt to prevent a prolonged battle. Despite its effectiveness, it is considered difficult to learn because it requires the user to near completely relearn swordplay to effectively use, as the weapon is held differently. The strategy of the Panther Blade style is to end the fight before it begins. However, when in combat, a user typically will stay quick and avoid meeting the opponent's weapon at all. Instead they focus on hit-and-run tactics, using the unique grip in an attempt to catch an opponent off guard as they evade their attacks. Panther Blade practitioners always strike for something that will dehibilitate their opponent in the greatest way possible and almost all of their attacks will strike at a joint if they cannot reach the heart or throat. Variants The three variants for Panther Blade exist, but Two-Handed is not generally counted as an effective or practical style. Both Single and Dual Blade variants see equal use among the assassins of Dhyla and South Rashorun. Single Blade: '''Though considered Single Blade, the user typically makes use of other tools to aid them in battle. Assassins are known to make use of smoke bombs, throwing daggers, or anything else that might turn the tide in their favor. Magic users naturally use this one-handed so they can cast through their off-hand. '''Two-Handed: An impractical style to use exclusively, it was at one time developed by someone looking to be the creator of a unique style. The two-handed reverse grip was rather awkward however and it never gained practicality or popularity. This has left the style practically extinct, bar the few who try and develop it to be viable. Dual Blade: The dual bladed style is typically favored by those who enter combat as it allows their rather unique offense to be even more difficult to deal with. The second blade is sometimes used to get inside an enemy's guard so the user can attempt a fatal strike on the throat of their opponent. This is rarely performed however, because of it being a rather risky manuever.